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Windows 8.1 Preview expiration on January 15, 2014

APPLIES TO:

Parallels Desktop 9 for Mac Standard Edition

Parallels Desktop 8 for Mac Standard Edition

Symptoms

The following warning message appears when you start Windows 8.1 Virtual Machine:

Reinstall Windows Now.
Your license to use this evaluation version of Windows will expire soon.
When it expires, your PC will restart every two hours.
Get the latest version of Windows to avoid these interruptions.

Cause

Windows 8.1 Release Preview is an evaluation copy of Windows 8 which expires on January 15, 2014.

Resolution

If you would like to continue to run a Windows 8 Virtual Machine, you will need to purchase the latest version of Windows 8.1 from Microsoft by clicking Get Windows.

Parallels always recommends creating a backup of your current Virtual Machine prior to any OS update or system changes.

If you no longer wish to use your Windows 8 Virtual Machine, you can delete the Virtual Machine by following the instructions at KB 5029